2012年12月英语四级完整版真题
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案解析
2012年12月英语四级真题答案解析Part I Writing标准版：The above bar chart clearly shows us education pays in 2010. We see that one with higher education background earns more money weekly than those with lower ones. For instance, the college students with no degree get paid$712 per week whereas those with a Bachelor’s degree can earn $1038.Several reasons, in my opinion, can be identified to account for this phenomenon. To begin with, compared with those with comparatively lower education degree, people who have received higher education possess considerably wider knowledge, more remarkable learning and research ability, greater innovation and most of all, resourceful social network, all of which are essential to a high-income work. Also, the higher one’s education degree is, the bigger platform he will have to show his ability. For example, his college, university, or research institute will organize various job fairs for them to communicate face to face with employers.This phenomenon tells us that education is a worthy investment. Therefore, substantial education investment should be strengthened while we, as college students, should study harder to build our country and strive for a better life for ourselves.高分版：Education PaysJudging from the table, we can see that people’s income increases along with their education levels. Above all，the average college graduates earn much more than the typical high-school graduates.The fact revealed by these data is obvious: a degree does bring distinctive financial benefits to its holders. But is it true that a degree alone can ensure a bright future? I don’t think so because, on the one hand, the financial value of high education depends heavily on what skills graduates can gain from it instead of the degree itself. After all, an employer only pays for your ability and performance, not for your certificate. On the other hand, the most valuable bless high education brings to graduates is the ability to learn quickly and efficiently. People received more education tend to keep lifelong learning habits after their graduation, which would help them gain more opportunities in their career path.In conclusion, what accounts for education pays is not the degree alone, but the graduate’s ability and leaning habit.作文B：标准版：Education PaysThe above bar chart clearly shows us education pays in 2010. We see that unemployment rate of those with higher education background is much lower than those with lower education degree. For instance, the unemployment rate of college students with no degree is as high as 14.9% while that of those with doctoral degree is only 1.9%.The followingreason, in my opinion, is the most important one to account for this phenomenon. Compared with those with comparatively lower education degree, people who have received higher education possess considerably wider knowledge, more remarkable learning and research ability, greater innovation and most of all, resourceful social network, all of which make them more qualified and competent for their task. Thus, they are less likely to lose their jobs.This phenomenon tells us that education is a worthy investment. Therefore, education investment should be strengthened while we, as college students, should study harder to avoid unemployment.高分版：Education PaysAs is shown in the table, the unemployment rate decreases steadily as the education level increases. The fact revealed by the statistics is obvious: graduates with a degree are less likely to be unemployed.What has brought about this effect? I believe there are three main reasons. To begin with, the education level is still the top factor that employers would take into account when selecting job candidates. It is believed that people with a college degree tend to be more intelligent and qualified. In addition, as a result of good learning habit formed during college, job hunters with high education background are also more efficient in acquiring and processing job hunting information. Finally, college education equips graduates with specialized skills, leading to greater attachment to the company they are employed and higher possibility to be reemployed even if they leave their previous company.In conclusion, it is the qualifications, learning habit and specialized skills that high education equip a graduate that make one distinctive in labor market.【标准版点评】这次四级作文出了图表题，可能让大家有些意外，但是四六级考察图表作文已经并不是第一次，早在2002年的时候就已经出现过，是图表+提纲的形式，图表反应的是大学生使用计算机的情况。
2012年12月英语四级完整版真题版
2012年12月英语四级完整版真题:第二套Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) Make phone calls to promote sales.B) Arrange business negotiations.C) Handle complaints from customers.D) Take orders over the phone.20. A) They had different business strategies.B) Customers often mistook one for the other.C) Conflicts between them could not be properly solved.D) Customers' questions could not be answered on the same day.21. A) They each take a week.B) They like to spend it together.C) They have to take it by turns.D) They are given two weeks each.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22. A) At a road crossing.B) Outside a police station.C)D) In front of a kindergarten.23. A) He drove too fast to read it.B) He did not notice it.C) It says 45 miles an hour.D) It is not clearly visible. 24. A) It should have been renewed two months ago.B) It actually belongs to somebody else.C) It is no longer valid.D) It is not genuine.25. A) He got a ticket.B) He was fined $35.C) He had his driver's license canceled.D) He had to do two weeks' community service.Section BPassage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based on the conversation you have just heard.26. A) They care more about an item's price than its use.B) They grab whatever they think is a good bargain.C) They become excited as if they had never been there.D) They behave as if their memories have failed totally.27. A) Those with a VIP card. C) Those needing assistance.B) Those with 15 items or less. D) Those paying in cash.28. A) Go back and pick up more items. C) Change the items they have picked up.B) Take out some unwanted purchases. D) Calculate the total cost of the groceries...29. A) It calls for carefulness. C) It needs a good knowledge of math.B) It requires tolerance. D) It involves communication skills.Passage TwoQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. A) A package of ideas formally presented.B) A short presentation clearly delivered.C) A natural and spontaneous style ot speech.D) A clever use of visual aids in presentation.31. A) The skillful use of gestures and facial expressions.B) Differences in style between writing and speaking.C) Different preferences of audiences.D) The importance of preparation.32. A) The differences between American and Asian cultures.B) The significance of cross-cultural communication.C) The increasing importance of public speaking.D) The key to becoming a good speaker.Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33. A) By comparing his performance with others'.B) By being repeatedly .C) By observing what their teachers do. D) By being given constant praise.34. A) The best students are usually smart by nature.B) It is only natural for children to make errors.C) Children cannot detect their own mistakes.D) All children should have equal opportunities.35. A) It is favorable to knowledge accumulation.B) It is beneficial to independent children.C) It is unhealthy to students' upbringing.D) It is unhelpful to students' learning.Passage OneQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.I've worked in the factories surrounding my hometown every summer since I graduated from high school. but making the transition（转变）between school and full-time blue-collar work during the break never gets any easier. For a student like me who considers any class before noon to be uncivilized, getting to a factory by 6 o'clock each morning is torture. My friends never seem to understand why I'm so relieved to be back at school or that my summer vacation has been anything but a vacation.There're few people as self-confident as a college student who has never been out in the real world. People my age always seem to overestimate the value of their time and knowledge. In fact, all the classes did not prepare me for my battles with the machine 1 ran in the plant, which would jam whenever I absent-mindedly put in a part backward .The most stressful thing about blue-collar life is knowing your job..could disappear overnight. Issues like downsizing（裁员）and overseas relocation had always seemed distant to me until my co-workers told me that the unit I was working in would shut down within six months and move to Mexico, where people would work for 60 cents an hour.After working 12-hour shifts in a factory, the other options have become only too clear. When I'm back at the university, skipping classes and turning in lazy re-writes seems too irresponsible after seeing what I would be doing without school. All the advice and public-service announcements about the value of an education that used to sound stale now ring true.These lessons I'm learning, however valuable, are always tinged（带有）with a sense of guilt. Many people pass their lives in the places I briefly work, spending 30 years where I spend only two months at a time. "This job pays well, but it's hell on the body," said one co-worker. "Study hard and keep reading," she added.My experiences in the factories have inspired me to make the most of my college years before I enter the real world for good.57. How did the author look back on his summer days while at college?A) They brought him nothing but torture.B) They were no holiday for him at all.C) They were a relief from his hard work at school.D) They offered him a chance to know more people.58. What does the author say about college students?A) They expect too much from the real world.B) They have little interest in blue-collar life.C) They think too highly of themselves. D) They are confident of their future.59. What, according to the author, is most frustrating for blue-collar workers?A) They do not get decent pay.B) They do not have job security.C) They have to work 12-hour shifts.D) They have to move from place to place.60. In what important way has the author's work experience changed him?A) He learned to be more practical.B) He acquired a sense of urgency.C) He came to respect blue-collar workers.D) He came to appreciate his college education61. Why does the author feel somewhat guilty?A) He realizes there is a great divide between his life and that of blue-collar workers.B) He looks down upon the mechanical work at the assembly line.C) He has not done much to help his co-workers at the factory.D) He has stayed at school just for the purpose of escaping from the real world.Passage TwoQuestions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.Are people suffering from gadget（小器具）overload? Are they..exhausted by the consumer equivalent of the brain fatigue-information overload that is caused by constant updates of devices and online media?Underwriters Laboratories issued a report last week that found 48% of consumers "feel high-tech manufacturers bring new products to market faster than people need them."There are two possible explanations. The first, obvious one is that the pace of innovation（创新）is too fast for consumers. The second less obvious one is that, in fact, innovation is too slow. That is, the new offerings companies are pushing out the door every six months or so are me-too products or ones with just a couple of new features. Marketing schedules, not product innovation, are driving the corporate（公司的）train. Manufacturers in America valued "speed to market" more than in other countries, the report found.Sara Greenstein, Underwriters Laboratories' chief strategy officer, offered her interpretation of the survey results. "Innovation is too fast only if corners are cut."For the high-tech sector, there are a few other interesting findings. Consumers are less concerned about safety in high-tech products than categories like fresh and processed food. But their top safety concerns are emissions and wireless radio waves. Many people, it seems, are uneasy living in a thickening cloud of radio waves from mobile phone towers and the gadgets they communicate with.A finding that was a hit surprising is that to consumers, the inner parts of high-tech devices do apparently matter. Some 55% of consumers, according to the report, said they are "more concerned about where high-tech components come from than where the product was assembled."The report doesn't really say how that information would affect consumer buying decisions. It could be complicated. Manufacturing companies on average rely on more than 35 contract suppliers around the world to create a single product. That number would be higher for a laptop.But maybe some sort of supply-chain labeling showing where parts come from in a product? "We're working on it," Ms. Greenstein said.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案。
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案。
Doctoral degree1,550 1,272 1,038712 626 444 Master ’s degreeBachelor ’s degreeSome college, no degreeHigh school diplomaLess than high school degree 2012年12月大学英语四级(CET-4)真题试卷Part Ⅰ Writing (30 minutes)注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上，请在答题卡1上作答。
Direction: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a composition entitled E ducation Pays basedon the statistics provided in the chart below (Weekly earnings of 2010). Please write atleast 120 words but no more than 180 words.Education: A Worthy InvestmentWeekly earnings in 2010($)Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsEducation PaysPart Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Di rections: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions onAnswer sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B),C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.Should Sugar Be Regulated like Alcohol and T obacco?Sugar poses enough health risks that it should be considered a controlled substance just like alcohol andtobacco, argue a team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).In an opinion piece called “The T oxic (毒性的) Truth About Sugar ” published Feb.1 in Nature, Robert“There is nothing empty about these calories. A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that fructose (果糖) can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases. A little is not a problem, but a lot kills —slowly.”Almost everyone’s heard of —or personally experienced —the well-known sugar high, so perhaps the comparison between sugar and alcohol o r tobacco shouldn’t come as a surprise. But it’s doubtful that Americans will look favorably upon regulating their favorite vice. We’re a nation that’s sweet on sugar: the average U.S. adult downs 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, according to the American Heart Association, and surveys have found that teens swallow 34 teaspoons.To counter our consumption, the authors advocate taxing sugary foods and controlling sales to kids under 17. Already, 17% of U.S. children and teens are obese (肥胖), and across the world the sugar intake(摄入) has increased three times in the past 50 years. The increase has helped create a global obesity plague that contributes to 35 million annual deaths worldwide from noninfectious diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Li nda Matzigkeit, a senior vice president at Children’s Healthcare, said “We have to do something about this or our country is in danger. It’s not good if your state has the second-highest obesity rate. Obese children turn into obese adults.”“There are good calories and bad calories, just as there aregood fats and bad fats, good amino acids (氨基酸) and bad amino acids,” Lustig, director of the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health program at UCSF, said in a statement. “But sugar is toxic beyond its calo ries.”The food industry tries to imply that “a calorie is a calorie is a calorie,” says Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. “But this and other research suggests there is something different about su gar,” says Brownell.The UCSF report emphasizes the metabolic (新陈代谢) effects of sugar. Excess sugar can alter metabolism, raise blood pressure, affect the signaling of hormones and damage the liver —outcomes that sound suspiciously similar to what can happen after a person drinks too much alcohol. Schmidt, co-chair of UCSF’s Community Engagement and Health Policy program, noted on CNN: “When you think about it, this actually makes a lot of sense. Alcohol, after all, is simply made from sugar. Where does vo dka come from? Sugar.”But there are also other areas of impact that researchers have investigated: the effect of sugar on the brain and how liquid calories are interpreted differently by the body than solids. Research has suggested that sugar activates the same reward pathways in the brain as traditional drugs of abuse like morphine or heroin. No one is claiming the effect of sugar is quite that strong, but, says Brownell, “it helps confirm what people tell you sometimes, that they hunger for sugar and have withdrawal symptoms when they stop eating it.”There’s also something particularly tricky about sugary drinks. “When calories come in liquids, the body doesn’t feel as full,”says Brownell. “People are getting more of their caloriesthan ever before from sugared drinks.”Other countries, including France, Greece and Denmark, impose soda taxes, and the concept is being considered in at least 20 U.S. cities and states. Last summer, Philadelphia came close to passing a 2-cents-per-ounce soda tax. The Rudd Center has been a strong advocate of a more modest 1-cent-per-punce tax. But at least one study, from 2010, has raised doubts that soda taxes would result in significant weight loss: apparently people who are determined to eat — and drink — unhealthily will find ways to do it. Teens — no surprise —are good at finding ways to get the things they can’t have, so state policies banning all sugar-sweetened drinks from public schools and providing only water, milk or 100% fruit juices haven’t had the intended effect of steering kids away from drinking sugared drinks: the average teen consumes about 300 calories per day —that’s nearly 15% of his daily calories —in sweetened drinks, and the food and drink industry is only too happy to feed this need.Ultimately, regulating sugar will prove particularly tricky because it goes beyond health concerns; sugar, forapple as an after-school treat today. We don’t do that regularly —it’s the first time this school year, actually —and that’s what made it special. As a society, could we ever reach the point where we’d think apples —not a cupcake —are something to get excited over? Says Brindis, one of the report’s authors and director of UCSF’s Philip R.Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies: “We recognize that there are cult ural and celebratory aspects of sugar. Changing these patterns is very complicated.”For inroads (进展) to be made, say the authors in their statement, people have to be better educated about the hazardsof sugar and agree that something’s got to change: Many of the interventions (干预) that have reduced alcohol and tobacco consumption can be models for addressing the sugar problem, such as imposing special sales taxes, controlling access, and tightening licensing requirements on vending machines(自动售货机) and snack-bars sell high sugar products in schools and workplaces.“We’re not talking prohibition,” Schmidt said. “We’re not advocating a major imposition of the government into people’s lives. We’re talking about gentle ways to make sugar consumption slightly less convenient, thereby moving people away from the concentrated does. What we want is to actually increase people’s choices by making foods that aren’t loaded with sugar comparatively easier and cheaper to get.”注意: 此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2012年12月英语四级真题及参考答案
2012年12月英语四级真题（完整版）Part I Writing【标准版】Nothing Succeeds Without a Strong WillNothing runs smoothly in our life. To achieve things successfully, a strong will is essential. Life is like a Marathon. Many people can’t get to the terminal. This is not becaus e they are lack of vitality but because their will of success is not strong enough.To take quitting smoking as an example, some regard it as a piece of cake. They make up their minds to quit it in the morning, but in the evening they feel that the smell of cigarettes is tempting. Their throats are sore, their mouths are thirsty, and their hands are shaking. After the painful mental struggle, they tell themselves that “One cigarette is enough. Just take one, and the next day I will quit it.” By doing this, they surrender to their weak will. In the end, they have quitted smoking “a hundred times”, but in no time they succeed.Just like quitting smoking, nothing succeeds without a strong will. To be successful in one’s life, a strong will means that you know where you go and you will persist on the road you choose. Undoubtedly success belongs to those who overcome their weak will and who hang in there until the last minute.【文章点评】本文属于话题类作文，只看题目“Nothing Succeeds without a strong will”考生会觉得比较抽象，难以下手。
2012年12月大学英语四级试卷及答案解析汇总
【作文一】1. 你的基本情况your basic information12.你申请贷款的原因、数额及用途you reason for the loan, the amount and purpose3. 你如何保证专款专用以及你的还款打算【作文：图表】图表作文Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage.The MagicianThe revolution that Steve Jobs led is only just beginningWhen it came to putting on a show, nobody else in the computer industry, or any other industry for that matter, could match Steve Jobs. His product launches, at which he would stand alone on a black stage and produce as if by magic an “incredible” new electronic gadget (小器具)in front of an amazed crowd, were the performances of a master showman. All computers do is fetch and work with numbers, he once explained, but do it fast enough and “the results appear to be magic”. Mr Jobs, who died recently aged 56, spent his life packaging that magic into elegantly designed, easy-to-use products.The reaction to his death, with people leaving candles and flowers outside Apple stores and politicians singing praises on the internet, is proof that Mr Jobs had become something much more significant than just a clever money-maker. He stood out in three ways-as a technologist, as a corporate (公司的)leader and as somebody who was able to make people love what had previously been impersonal, functional gadgets. Strangely, it is this last quality that may have the deepest effect on the way people live. The era of personal technology is in many ways just beginning.As a technologist, Mr Jobs was different because he was not an engineer-and that was his great strength. Instead he was keenly interested in product design and aesthetics (美学), and in making advanced technology simple to use. He repeatedly took an existing but half-formed idea-the mouse-driven computer, the digital music player, the smartphone, the tablet computer(平板电脑)-and showed the rest of the industry how to do it properly. Rival firms competed with each other to follow where he led. In the process he brought about great changes in computing, music, telecoms and the news business that were painful for existing firms but welcomed by millions of consumers.Within the wider business world, a man who liked to see himself as a hippy (嬉皮士), permanently in revolt against big companies, ended up being hailed by many of those corporate giants as one of the greatest chief executives of his time. That was partly due to his talents: showmanship, strategic vision, an astonishing attention to detail and a dictatorial management style which many bosses must have envied. But most of all it was the extraordinary trajectory (轨迹)of his life. His fall from grace in the 1980s, followed by his return to Apple in 1996 after a period in the wilderness, is an inspiration to any businessperson whose career has taken a turn for the worse. The way in which Mr Jobs revived the failing company he had co-founded and turned it into the world’s biggest tech firm (bigger even than Bill Gates’s Microsoft, the company that had outsmarted Apple so dramatically in the 1980s), sounds like something from a Hollywood movie.But what was perhaps most astonishing about Mr Jobs was the absolute loyalty he managed to inspire in customers. Many Apple users feel themselves to be part of a community, with Mr Jobs as its leader. And there was indeed a personal link. Apple’s products were designed to accord with the boss’s tastes and to meet his extremely high standards. Every iPhone or MacBook has his fingerprints all over it. His great achievement was to combine an emotional spark with computer technology, and make the resulting product feel personal. And that is what put Mr Jobs on the right side of history, as technological innovation (创新)has moved into consumer electronics over the past decade.As our special report in t his issue (printed before Mr Jobs’s death) explains, innovation used to spill over from military and corporate laboratories to the consumer market, but lately this process has gone into reverse. Many people’s homes now have more powerful, and more flexible, devices than their offices do; consumer gadgets and online services are smarter and easier to use than most companies’ systems. Familiar consumer products are being adopted by businesses, government and the armed forces. Companies are employing in-house versions of Facebook and creating their own “app stores” to deliver software to employees. Doctors use tablet computers for their work in hospitals. Meanwhile, the number of consumers hungry for such gadgets continues to swell. Apple’s products are now bei ng snapped up in Delhi and Dalian just as in Dublin and Dallas.Mr Jobs had a reputation as a control freak (怪人), and his critics complained that the products and systems he designed were closed and inflexible, in the name of greater ease of use. Yet he also empowered millions of people by giving them access to cutting-edge technology. His insistence on putting users first, and focusing on elegance and simplicity, has become deep-rooted in his own company, and is spreading to rival firms too. It is no longer just at Apple that designers ask: “What would Steve Jobs do?”The gap between Apple and other tech firms is now likely to narrow. This week’s announcement of a new iPhone by a management team led by Tim Cook, who replaced Mr Jobs as chief executive in August, was generally regarded as competent but uninspiring. Without Mr Jobs to shower his star dust on the event, it felt like just another product launch from just another technology firm. At the recent unveiling of a tablet computer by Jeff Bezos of Amazon, whose company is doing the best job of following Apple’s lead in combining hardware, software, content and services in an easy-to-use bundle, there were several attacks at Apple. But by doing his best to imitate Mr Jobs, Mr Bezos also flattered (抬举)him. With Mr Jobs gone, Apple is just one of many technology firms trying to arouse his uncontrollable spirit in new products.Mr Jobs was said by an engineer in the early years of Apple to emit a “reality distortion (扭曲)field”, such were his powers of persuasion. But in the end he created a reality of his own, channeling the magic of computing into products that reshaped entire industries. The man who said in his youth that he wanted to “put a ding in the universe” did just that.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。
2012年12月大学英语四级考试试题
2012年12月大学英语四级考试试题COLLEGE ENGLISH TEST—Band Four —Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes)Section ADirections:In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.1. A) She can count on the man for help.B) She can lend the man a sleeping bag.C) She has other plans for this weekend.D) She has got camping gear for rent.2. A) The man should keep his words.B) Karen can take her to the airport.C) Karen always supports her at work.D) She regrets asking the man for help.3. A) His trip to Hawaii has used up all his money.B) He usually checks his brakes before a trip.C) His trip to Hawaii was not enjoyable.D) He can’t afford to go traveling yet.4. A) There was nothing left except some pie.B) The woman is going to prepare the dinner.C) The man has to find something else to eat.D) Julie has been invited for dinner.5. A) Send Professor Smith a letter.B) Apply to three graduate schools.C) Present a new letter of reference.D) Submit no more than three letters.6. A) He is a professional gardener in town.B) He declines to join the gardening club.C) He prefers to keep his gardening skills to himself.D) He wishes to receive formal training in gardening.7.A) Many people do not appreciate modern art.B) The recent sculpture exhibit was not well organized.C) Modern art cannot express people’s true feelings.D) Sculpture is not a typical form of modern art.8.A) Bob cannot count on her vote.B) She will vote for another candidate.C) Bob does not have much chance to win.D) She knows the right person for the position.Questions 9 to 12 are based on the conversation you have just heard.9. A) Poor management of the hospital.B) The outdated medical testing procedures.C) Decisions made by the head technician.D) The health hazard at her work place.10. A) Cut down her workload.B) Repair the x-ray equipment.C) Transfer her to another department.D) Allow her to go on leave for two months.11.A) They are virtually impossible to enforce.B) Neither is applicable to the woman’s case.C) Their requirements may be difficult to meet.D) Both of them have been subject to criticism.12.A) Organize a mass strike.B) Try to help her get it back.C) Compensate for her loss.D) Find her a better paying job.Questions 13 to 15 are based on the conversation you have just heard.13.A) In the preparatory phase.B) In the concluding part.C) In stating your terms.D) In giving concessions.14.A) He uses lots of gestures to help make his points clear.B) He presents his arguments in a straightforward way.C) He responds readily to the other party’s proposals.D) He behaves in a way contrary to his real intention.15. A) Both can succeed depending on the specific situation.B) The honest type is more effective than the actor type.C) Both may fail when confronting experienced rivals.D) The actor type works better in tough negotiations.Section BPassage OneQuestions 16 to 19 are based on the passage you have just heard.16. A) The weight of the boxes moving across the stage.B) The number of times of repeating the process.C) The size of the objects shown.D) The shape of the cubes used.17. A) Girls seem to start reasoning earlier than boys.B) Girls tend to get excited more easily than boys.C) Boys enjoy playing with cubes more than girls.D) Boys pay more attention to moving objects than girls.18. A) It is a breakthrough in the study of the nerve system.B) Its findings are quite contrary to previous research.C) Its result helps understand babies’language ability.D) It may stimulate scientists to make further studies.19. A) They talk at an earlier age.B) Their bones mature earlier.C) They are better able to adapt to the surroundings.D) The two sides of their brain develop simultaneously.Passage TwoQuestions 20 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard.20. A) The city’s general budget for the coming year.B) The blueprint for the development of the city.C) The controversy over the new office regulations.D) The new security plan for the municipal building.21. A) Whether the security checks were really necessary.B) Whether the security checks would create long queues at peak hours.C) How to cope with the huge crowds of visitors to the municipal building.D) How to train the newly recruited security guards.22. A) Confrontational. B) Straightforward. C) Ridiculous. D) Irrelevant.Passage ThreeQuestions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.23. A) He considers himself a blessed man. C) He used to work as a miner in Nevada.B) He works hard to support his five kids. D) He once taught at a local high school.24. A) To be nearer to Zac’s school. C) To look after her grandchildren.B) To cut their living expenses. D) To help with the household chores.25. A) Skeptical. C) Indifferent. B) Realistic. D) OptimisticSection CDirections: In this section, you will hear a passage three times. When the passage is read for the first time, you should listen carefully for its general idea. When the passage is read for the second time, you are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have just heard. Finally, when the passage is read for the third time, you should check what you have written.Mountain climbing is becoming a popular sport, but it is also a (26) ____________ dangerous one. People can fall; they may also become ill. One of the most common dangers to climbers is altitude sickness, which can affect even very (27) ____________ climbers.Altitude sickness usually begins when a climber goes above 8,000 or 9,000 feet. The higher one climbs, the less oxygen there is in the air. When people don’t get enough oxygen, they often begin to (28) ____________. They may also feel (29) ____________. Besides these symptoms of altitude sickness, others such as headache and (30) ____________ may also occur. At heights of over 18,000 feet, people may be climbing in a (31) ____________ daze (恍惚). This state of mind can have an (32) ____________ effect on their judgment.A few (33) ____________ can help most climbers avoid altitude sickness. The first is not to go too high too fast. If you climb to 10,000 feet, stay at that height for a day or two. Your body needs to (34) ____________ a high altitude before you climb to an even higher one. Or if you do climb higher sooner, come back down to a lower height when you sleep. Also, drink plenty of liquids and avoid tobacco and alcohol. When you reach your top height, do light activities rather than sleep too much. You breathe less when you sleep, so you get less (35) ____________.。
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案解析完整版
2012年12月英语四级真题及答案解析完整版Part I Writing【标准版】Nothing Succeeds Without a Strong WillNothing runs smoothly in our life. To achieve things successfully, a strong will is essential. Life is like a Marathon. Many people can’t get to the terminal. This is not bec ause they are lack of vitality but because their will of success is not strong enough.To take quitting smoking as an example, some regard it as a piece of cake. They make up their minds to quit it in the morning, but in the evening they feel that the smell of cigarettes is tempting. Their throats are sore, their mouths are thirsty, and their hands are shaking. After the painful mental struggle, they tell themselves that “One cigarette is enough. Just take one, and the next day I will quit it.” By doing this, they surrender to their weak will. In the end, they have quitted smoking “a hundred times”, but in no time they succeed.Just like quitting smoking, nothing succeeds without a strong will. To be successful in one’s life, a strong will means that you know where you go and you will persist on the road you choose. Undoubtedly success belongs to those who overcome their weak will and who hang in there until the last minute.【文章点评】本文属于话题类作文，只看题目“Nothing Succeeds without a strong will”考生会觉得比较抽象，难以下手。
2012年12月大学英语四级真题
2012年12月大学英语四级真题Section A11. A) He needs another week for the painting. B) The painting was completed just in time.C) The building won’t open until next week.D) His artistic work has been well received.12. A) Go camping. B) Decorate his house.C) Rent a tent. D) Organize a party.13. A) She talked with Mr. Wright on the phone. B) She is about to call Mr. Wright’s secretary.C) She will see Mr. Wright at lunch time. D) She failed to reach Mr. Wright.14. A) He is actually very hardworking. B) He has difficulty finishing his project.C) He needs to spend more time in the lab. D) He seldom tells the truth about himself.15. A) Rules restricting smoking. B) Ways to quit smoking.C) Smoker s’ health problems.D) Hazards of passive smoking.16. A) He is out of town all morning. B) He is tied up in family matters.C) He has been writing a report. D) He has got meetings to attend.17. A) He is not easy-going. B) He is the speakers’ boss.C) He is not at home this weekend. D) He seldom invites people to his home.18. A) Take a break. B) Refuel his car.C) Ask the way. D) Have a cup of coffee.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you havejust heard.19. A) They are as good as historical films. B) They give youngsters a thrill.C) They have greatly improved. D) They are better than comics on film.20. A) The effects were very good. B) The acting was just so-so.C) The plot was too complicated. D) The characters were lifelike.21. A) They triumphed ultimately over evil in the battle. B) They played the same role in War of the Worlds.C) They are popular figures among young people. D) They are two leading characters in the film.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22. A) It is scheduled on Thursday night. B) It is supposed to last nine weeks.C) It takes place once a week. D) It usually starts at six.23. A) To make good use of her spare time in the evening. B) To meet the requirements of her in-service training.C) T o improve her driving skills as quickly as possible. D) To get some basic knowledge about car maintenance.24. A) Participate in group discussions. B) Take turns to make presentations.C) Listen to the teacher’s explanation.D) Answer the teacher’s questions.25. A) Most of them are female. B) Some have a part-time job.C) They plan to buy a new car. D) A few of them are old chaps.Section BPassage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based on thepassage you have just heard.26. A) She is not good at making friends. B) She is not well off.C) She enjoys company. D) She likes to go to concerts alone.27. A) Their similar social status. B) Their interdependence.C) Their common interest. D) Their identical character.28. A) Invite Pat to a live concert. B) Buy some gifts for Pat’s kids.C) Help take care of Pat’s kids.D) Pay for Pat’s season tickets.29. A) It can develop between people with a big difference in income.B) It can be maintained among people of different age groups.C) It cannot last long without similar family background.D) It cannot be sustained when friends move far apart.Passage TwoQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. A) Priority of students’ academic achievements.B) Equal education opportunities to all children.C) Social equality between teachers and students. D) Respect for students’ individuality.31. A) Efficient. B) Complicated.C) Lengthy. D) Democratic.32. A) T o help them acquire hands-on experience. B) To try to cut down its operational expenses.C) T o provide part-time jobs for needy students. D) T o enable them to learn to take responsibility.Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33. A) The best way to work through a finger maze. B) Individuals doing better in front of an audience.C) Researchers having contributed greatly to psychology.D) Improvements on the classification of human behavior.34. A) When you feel encouraged by the audience. B) When you try to figure out a confusing game.C) When you already know how to do something. D) When you complete with other people in a group.35. A) Practicing constantly. B) Working by oneself.C) Learning by doing. D) Using proven methods.Section CAmericans today have different eating habits than they had in the past. There is a wide (36) ______ of food available. They have a broader knowledge of nutrition (营养), so they buy more fresh fruit and (37) _______ than ever before. At the same time, Americans purchase increasing quantities of sweets and sodas. Statistics show that the way people live (38) ______ the way they eat. American lifestyles have changed. There are now (39) ______ people who live alone, single parents and children, and double-income families. These changing lifestyles are (40) ______ for the increasing number of people who must (41) ______ meals or sometimes simply go without them. Many Americans have less time than ever before to (42) ______. Partly as a consequence of this limited time, over half of all American homes now have microwave ovens. Moreover, Americans eat out nearly four times a week on average.It is easy to study the amounts and kinds of food that people consume.The United States Department of Agriculture and the food industry collect sales statistics and (43) ______. This information not only tells us what people are eating, but also tellsus about the changes in (44) ______and tastes. Red meat, which used to be the most popular choice for dinner, is no longer an American (45) ______. Instead, chicken, turkey and fish have become more popular. Sales of these foods have greatly increased in recent years.参考答案：11-15 BADAA 16-20 DBBCA21-25 DCDCA 26-30 BCDAC31-35 DDBCB36selection 37vegetables38 determines 39 growing number of 40 responsible 41 rush42 spend preparing food 43 keep accurate records 44 attitudes 45 favorite。
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2012年12月英语四级完整版真题:第二套Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.19. A) Make phone calls to promote sales.B) Arrange business negotiations.C) Handle complaints from customers.D) Take orders over the phone.20. A) They had different business strategies.B) Customers often mistook one for the other.C) Conflicts between them could not be properly solved.D) Customers' questions could not be answered on the same day.21. A) They each take a week.B) They like to spend it together.C) They have to take it by turns.D) They are given two weeks each.Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.22. A) At a road crossing.B) Outside a police station.C)D) In front of a kindergarten.23. A) He drove too fast to read it.B) He did not notice it.C) It says 45 miles an hour.D) It is not clearly visible. 24. A) It should have been renewed two months ago.B) It actually belongs to somebody else.C) It is no longer valid.D) It is not genuine.25. A) He got a ticket.B) He was fined $35.C) He had his driver's license canceled.D) He had to do two weeks' community service.Section BPassage OneQuestions 26 to 29 are based on the conversation you have just heard.26. A) They care more about an item's price than its use.B) They grab whatever they think is a good bargain.C) They become excited as if they had never been there.D) They behave as if their memories have failed totally.27. A) Those with a VIP card. C) Those needing assistance.B) Those with 15 items or less. D) Those paying in cash.28. A) Go back and pick up more items. C) Change the items they have picked up.B) Take out some unwanted purchases. D) Calculate the total cost of the groceries.29. A) It calls for carefulness. C) It needs a good knowledge of math.B) It requires tolerance. D) It involves communication skills.Passage TwoQuestions 30 to 32 are based on the passage you have just heard.30. A) A package of ideas formally presented.B) A short presentation clearly delivered.C) A natural and spontaneous style ot speech.D) A clever use of visual aids in presentation.31. A) The skillful use of gestures and facial expressions.B) Differences in style between writing and speaking.C) Different preferences of audiences.D) The importance of preparation.32. A) The differences between American and Asian cultures.B) The significance of cross-cultural communication.C) The increasing importance of public speaking.D) The key to becoming a good speaker.Passage ThreeQuestions 33 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard.33. A) By comparing his performance with others'.B) By being repeatedly .C) By observing what their teachers do. D) By being given constant praise.34. A) The best students are usually smart by nature.B) It is only natural for children to make errors.C) Children cannot detect their own mistakes.D) All children should have equal opportunities.35. A) It is favorable to knowledge accumulation.B) It is beneficial to independent children.C) It is unhealthy to students' upbringing.D) It is unhelpful to students' learning.Passage OneQuestions 57 to 61 are based on the following passage.I've worked in the factories surrounding my hometown every summer since I graduated from high school. but making the transition（转变）between school and full-time blue-collar work during the break never gets any easier. For a student like me who considers any class before noon to be uncivilized, getting to a factory by 6 o'clock each morning is torture. My friends never seem to understand why I'm so relieved to be back at schoolor that my summer vacation has been anything but a vacation.There're few people as self-confident as a college student who has never been out in the real world. People my age always seem to overestimate the value of their time and knowledge. In fact, all the classes did not prepare me for my battles with the machine 1 ran in the plant, which would jam whenever I absent-mindedly put in a part backward .The most stressful thing about blue-collar life is knowing your jobcould disappear overnight. Issues like downsizing（裁员）and overseas relocation had always seemed distant to me until my co-workers told methat the unit I was working in would shut down within six months and move to Mexico, where people would work for 60 cents an hour.After working 12-hour shifts in a factory, the other options have become only too clear. When I'm back at the university, skipping classes and turning in lazy re-writes seems too irresponsible after seeing what I would be doing without school. All the advice and public-service announcements about the value of an education that used to sound stale now ring true.These lessons I'm learning, however valuable, are always tinged（带有）with a sense of guilt. Many people pass their lives in the places I briefly work, spending 30 years where I spend only two months at a time. "Thisjob pays well, but it's hell on the body," said one co-worker. "Study hardand keep reading," she added.My experiences in the factories have inspired me to make the most of my college years before I enter the real world for good.57. How did the author look back on his summer days while at college?A) They brought him nothing but torture.B) They were no holiday for him at all.C) They were a relief from his hard work at school.D) They offered him a chance to know more people.58. What does the author say about college students?A) They expect too much from the real world.B) They have little interest in blue-collar life.C) They think too highly of themselves. D) They are confident of their future.59. What, according to the author, is most frustrating for blue-collar workers?A) They do not get decent pay.B) They do not have job security.C) They have to work 12-hour shifts.D) They have to move from place to place.60. In what important way has the author's work experience changed him?A) He learned to be more practical.B) He acquired a sense of urgency.C) He came to respect blue-collar workers.D) He came to appreciate his college education61. Why does the author feel somewhat guilty?A) He realizes there is a great divide between his life and that of blue-collar workers.B) He looks down upon the mechanical work at the assembly line.C) He has not done much to help his co-workers at the factory.D) He has stayed at school just for the purpose of escaping from the real world.Passage TwoQuestions 62 to 66 are based on the following passage.Are people suffering from gadget（小器具）overload? Are theyexhausted by the consumer equivalent of the brain fatigue-information overload that is caused by constant updates of devices and online media?Underwriters Laboratories issued a report last week that found 48%of consumers "feel high-tech manufacturers bring new products to market faster than people need them."There are two possible explanations. The first, obvious one is that the pace of innovation（创新）is too fast for consumers. The second less obvious one is that, in fact, innovation is too slow. That is, the new offerings companies are pushing out the door every six months or so areme-too products or ones with just a couple of new features. Marketing schedules, not product innovation, are driving the corporate（公司的）train. Manufacturers in America valued "speed to market" more than in other countries, the report found.Sara Greenstein, Underwriters Laboratories' chief strategy officer, offered her interpretation of the survey results. "Innovation is too fast onlyif corners are cut."For the high-tech sector, there are a few other interesting findings. Consumers are less concerned about safety in high-tech products than categories like fresh and processed food. But their top safety concerns are emissions and wireless radio waves. Many people, it seems, are uneasy living in a thickening cloud of radio waves from mobile phone towers andthe gadgets they communicate with.A finding that was a hit surprising is that to consumers, the inner parts of high-tech devices do apparently matter. Some 55% of consumers, according to the report, said they are "more concerned about where high-tech components come from than where the product was assembled."The report doesn't really say how that information would affect consumer buying decisions. It could be complicated. Manufacturing companies on average rely on more than 35 contract suppliers around the world to create a single product. That number would be higher for a laptop.But maybe some sort of supply-chain labeling showing where parts come from in a product? "We're working on it," Ms. Greenstein said.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。